Power consumption of digital integrated circuits is proportional to the square of applied voltage. The electronics industry has continually been driving power supply voltage levels ever lower as a means to reduce power consumption. At the same time, power density levels of integrated circuits have been increasing. As a result, the demand for low voltage/high current capacity power supplies has been ever growing.
Meanwhile, power distribution favors high voltage as a means to reduce copper losses and also the amount of copper required. As a result of the disconnection between power distribution and integrated circuit load requirements, a great burden is placed upon the power converter electronics to provide conversion of power from high voltage distribution grid down to the low voltage electronic load.
Traditional means of interfacing the low-voltage electronic loads to the distribution grid is through the use of one or several AC/DC and DC/DC power converters. IT equipment generally takes an AC input, rectifies the AC input to DC and provides voltage conversion to an intermediate bus voltage supply, between 12-56V for distribution within the IT equipment. One or more DC/DC converters step down the intermediate bus voltage to the low voltage supply required by the electronic loads.